The Tale of a New Beginning
by ral7224
Summary: Sophia Williams has just been notified that she must attend Hogwarts. The fourteen-year-old accepts and meets the Golden Trio. They become friends even though Sophia has a dark secret; one she doesn't even know herself. How quick do things change? Fast.
1. Chapter 1

**Here is my new fanfiction 'The Tale of a New Beginning'. I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 1<strong>

Sophia jolted upright. "Just a dream. Just another dream," she muttered to herself. Except it wasn't just another dream. It was the same one that haunted her forever. She brushed off the familiar feeling, rolled out of bed, and grabbed one of the various books scattered around her room.

She opened to a random page and started reading. Part of her felt better almost instantly, but the other part was the nightmare still holding on. She tucked her auburn hair behind her ear and kept reading.

She read for hours, picking up different books, until the feeling drained from her system. Soon there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Sophia? Are you up?" called out the familiar American accent of her adopted father, Aaron Williams, from outside the door.

"Yeah," She called, not looking up from her book.

"Why don't you come eat?" he suggested.

"I'm not hungry," Sophia responded.

"You really should eat. We have a long day ahead of us," Mr. Williams called out.

Sophia placed her book to the side and opened the door.

"What do we have to do?" she asked.

"We are going into town."

"Are you serious?"

"Indeed I am."

"No thanks," Sophia said walking back and picking up her book. She began reading once again.

"Come on. It's a beautiful day," he pleaded.

"It's not beautiful for blind people," she inquired.

"Come on. We have lived here for almost three months and you have barely left the house."

"Your point is?"

"Do you really miss America this much?"

"Do I miss America? You mean the place filled with rude, ignorant, selfish people who hate me? Not at all."

"Sophia, I'm serious."

"So am I!" Sophia defended.

"Just get dressed," he said, walking out the room. Sophia forced herself to place the book down and opened up one of her dresser drawers. She quickly pulled out a plain purple shirt and black shorts. She slipped this and a few bracelets on her left arm to cover a scar there, and braided her hair to the side. When she was finished, she walked down the stairs to find Mr. and Mrs. Williams sitting on the couch, talking with a man sitting across from them.

He had long silver hair, and a very large beard. He was noticeably thin and appeared to be tall. He had brilliant blue eyes, shining behind half-moon spectacles which were perched on his crooked nose. His wardrobe was most extraordinary. He was wearing a long, royal blue robe, dotted with small silver stars.

"Who are you?" Sophia blurted.

"Sophia! Be nice!" Anna Williams scolded.

"Sorry. Who are you?"

The man laughed. "I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. But you may call me Professor Dumbledore," he answered.

Sophia nodded her head slowly, still wondering what this weird man was doing here.

"Professor Dumbledore is here to speak to you," Ms. Williams said.

"That's not weird at all," Sophia muttered.

"Come sit down," Aaron said.

Cautiously, Sophia took a seat in the chair across from Dumbledore.

"I am here to give this to you," he said pulling out a thick, yellow envelope. He hand it to Sophia, who looked over it. Written in emerald green ink was:

**Ms. S. Williams**

**The Final Door on the Right**

**172 Ivy Lane**

**Canterbury**

Sophia looked up at Dumbledore, to see him looking at her, his eyes filled with encouragement. Sophia flipped the envelope to reveal a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms. A lion, a badger, an eagle, and a serpent surrounding a large _H_. Sophia pulled out the letter encased inside and read silently to her. It proclaimed:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
>of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY<p>

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
><em>(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,<br>Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Ms. Williams,  
>We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted<br>at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please  
>find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.<br>Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no  
>later than July 31.<p>

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Minerva McGonagall  
><em>Deputy Headmistress<em>

Sophia looked up from the paper and stared at Dumbledore. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No," Dumbledore said softly.

"Yes it is! This isn't real!" Sophia shouted.

"What does it say?" Aaron asked.

Sophia read the paper aloud. "It's fake," she claimed when she was done.

Aaron and Anna both looked at Albus Dumbledore, their eyes filled with questions.

"What is this?" Mr. Williams asked.

"Hogwarts is a school of for witches and wizards, much like you, Sophia," Dumbledore answered.

"Me? I'm not a witch!" Sophia defended.

"But you are," Dumbledore replied simply.

"No I'm not!" Sophia yelled.

Dumbledore didn't seem fazed at all. He was still looking at Sophia with his gentle eyes. "Hogwarts is a school for the magically gifted. There you will learn how to control your powers, and take other classes such as, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, and Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Are you saying that Sophia has magical powers?" Anna Williams asked.

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed."

"How do you know?" Aaron asked.

"When a witch or wizard is born, the Magic Quill records his or her name," Dumbledore started. Sophia sank lower in her chair. "Then when they turned eleven, Hogwarts sends them their acceptance letter."

"Wait. I'm fourteen," Sophia added.

"Yes you are. You were in America when you turned eleven. We had to wait until you returned."

"Wow," Anna Williams muttered.

"I can't be a witch. You must be mistaken," Sophia said.

"Sophia, have you ever done something that you couldn't explain? It just happened," Dumbledore asked.

A sly grin spread across her face and she nodded.

Albus Dumbledore smiled.

"So that was magic?"

"Indeed it was."

Sophia turned to her adoptive parents. "Can you please leave so I can talk to Professor Dumbledore alone?"

Aaron nodded and he and Anna left the room.

"I guess I believe you," Sophia sighed.

Professor Dumbledore laughed.

"I need you help with something," she said.

"Like what?"

"I've always had this weird nightmare. Maybe you can help me with it."

"What is it about?"

"Well there was a face. It was always the face; staring down at me. It looked like a man. They had chalk-white skin, slits where the nose was supposed to be, glowing red eyes, and he didn't have any eyebrows. He would stare down at me for awhile then he took out a stick and placed it on my arm, where bright sparks shot out onto my skin. They made a snake-like pattern and it burned into my flesh, leaving the scar there," Sophia hesitated. Her gaze dropped to her left arm, covered in bracelets. She removed them, to reveal the same snake-like scar from her recurring dream. She looked back at Dumbledore and noticed he was watching her, waiting for her to finish. Noticing this, Sophia said, "That's it."

Dumbledore nodded. "Do you know who that man is?"

Sophia glared at him. "Uhh. No."

"He is known in the wizard world as Lord Voldemort. He is a murder and a villain."

"Well where is he?"

"Gone. He disappeared thirteen years ago."

"Why?"

"He was defeated by a one-year old, named Harry Potter."

Sophia laughed. "A one-year old?"

"Yes. It should have killed Harry, but instead it destroyed Voldemort," Dumbledore answered.

Sophia nodded, trying to take it all in. "What did he want with me?"

"I don't know."

"Why would he leave this scar on my arm?"

"I don't know that either."

"Alright then. Easy enough."

He grinned. "Well we should be going."

"We?"

"Yes. You are coming with me."

"To Hogwarts? The letter said term didn't start until September 1," Sophia asked confused.

"Not to Hogwarts. Diagon Alley."

Sophia cocked her head to the side, like she often did when she was confused. Instead of asking questions, she walked to her bed room and slipped on her pair of purple trainers.

When she went back into the living room, she saw Dumbledore waiting for her. Sophia paced over to him and they were both out the door.

Dumbledore led the way and Sophia followed silently. After walking for quite some time, Sophia noticed that they were heading towards the train station. Dumbledore paid the staring man at the ticket booth and they were both on their way.

The two sat in the very back. Dumbledore closed his eyes, as if thinking, and Sophia stared out the window, daydreaming. She thought of what Hogwarts would be like and where Diagon Alley was. She wondered why they were taking a train if Dumbledore was a wizard and she was a witch. But that didn't bother her too much. Instead, she propped her head on her fist, and watched the scenery pass by. When the train lurched to a stop, Dumbledore opened his eyes, walked back up the train, muttered a quick thanks to an employee, and left. Sophia followed close behind, trying not to lose him in the throng of people.

Soon they reached a small pub. When Dumbledore entered, everyone's head turned to face them. Some walked up to them and started talking. Sophia just looked around in amazement. Dumbledore talked for a few seconds to different people, but Sophia could tell he was trying to leave, but was too nice to say it. Eventually people allowed him to walk through.

"What is the place?" Sophia asked.

"The Leaky Cauldron. We're almost to Diagon Alley."

She followed him further, until they reached a wall in the back of the pub. Dumbledore withdrew his wand and placed them against a few bricks above a small trashcan.

"Three up," Dumbledore muttered. He traced his wand three bricks up. "Two across," He dragged the wand two bricks over. "Step back," he warned. Sophia did as told. Dumbledore tapped the brick three times and the brick wiggled. A small hole appeared. It grew larger and wider, until a large archway appeared. Dumbledore, silently, walked through. Sophia followed down the cobblestone path. She gasped. "Welcome to Diagon Alley," Dumbledore replied, grinning.

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><p><strong>There you go! Please, please, please, please review. It'll make my day!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

"Excuse me," I whispered, carefully knocking on the compartment door. "Am I interrupting something?"

The two boys- one with brown hair and one with ginger- and the girl- a brunette-looked up at me. The girl immediately smiled and waved while the two boys seemed a bit wary of my presence.

"Not at all," the girl replied. "How can we help you?"

"Is it cool if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"I guess," the ginger said.

"Thanks," I murmured and pushed the door open and slid through. The girl scooted over and left me a place to sit.

"I'm Hermione," she smiled. I nodded and let her continue before telling her that I didn't exactly care- I just wanted a place to sit. "That's Ron," she pointed to the ginger. "And that's Harry."

"Sophia," I muttered.

The boy sitting across from me, Harry, held out his hand for me to shake. I gave a tiny grin and shook his hand. As soon as my fingers touched his skin, a sharp pain seared through my hand. I looked over at my left arm and at the scar etched into my skin. I jerked away from Harry's grasp and held my arm close to me. I sputtered a few curse words under my breath and glanced up at Harry. I noticed that he was holding into his forehead. He was biting his lip to keep from crying out.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked. I looked at him to see that he was just staring Harry.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "You?"

I just nodded.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," I whispered. .

"What the hell is that?" Ron asked.

I followed his glance to my arm. The bracelets that I used to cover my scar were further up my arm, leaving it exposed.

"A scar I got as a kid," I lied. "I fell out of a tree and the bark scratched my arm."

He nodded, unsure of my answer.

"Sophia, how old are you?" Hermione asked, changing the subject, for which I was grateful.

"Fourteen."

"I've never seen you around."

"This is my first year."

"It should be your fourth year."

I chuckled. "I am skipping my first three years. I've been in America."

"America?"

"Adoptive father's mom died so I had to live in New York for a few years to help take care of his father. He took the death pretty bad."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but she was rudely interrupted her by shoving the door open and strutting in.

Three boys stood in the doorway. The one standing in front of the other shot me a look and smirked.

"Oh, I didn't know there was another Weasley! I thought they would have given up on making such horrid children."

Across from me, Ron's face turned red with anger. He looked as though he wanted to retaliate, but couldn't open his mouth to do so.

"There's a difference between ginger and auburn, love," I smirked.

"What?"

"Are you deaf as well as blind? His hair is ginger. Mine is auburn. There is a huge difference. I suggest you learn it before you poorly insult someone."

"Who the hell are you?" the taller boy asked.

"A girl who is much smarter than you lot, that's for sure."

"You don't speak to Malfoy like that," the final boy said.

"She can speak to Malfoy however she wants," Ron finally spoke up.

The three just stood there completely befuddled.

"How about you three return here when you all join brains, giving you enough brain cells to create a good comeback?" Harry retaliated.

The boy closest to me- Malfoy- frowned in defeat and turned to exit the compartment.

"Who was that kid?" I asked once the three had left.

"Draco Malfoy," Hermione sighed. "He's a fourth year like us."

"What house is he in?" I suddenly recalled reading about the four houses Hogwarts was divided in. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.

"Slytherin."

"What house are you three in?"

"Gryffindor."

I grinned. "Figures."

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><p>"Hi Hagrid!" Harry yelled. A huge man turned around and waved at us. He towered over us, but had a friendly grin plastered on his face.<p>

"All righ', Harry?" the man- Hagrid- bellowed. "You haven't seen a Sophia by any chance, have yeh?"

"Sophia Williams?" I questioned.

"Yeh. She needs to be sorted with the others."

"That would be me."

He smiled more and held out a ginormous hand out to me. I gingerly grasped it and gave it a quick shake before hastily pulling away.

"Nice to meet yeh."

"Same to you," I murmured.

"See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!" Hagrid laughed.

"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," Hermione shivered.

I raised an eyebrow. "I have to cross the lake?"

"Sorry," she whispered.

"This outta be fun."

"We'll see you after the Sorting," Hermione replied. She, along with Ron and Harry, took a few steps back to some carriages that seemed to be floating. "Good luck!"

"I'll need it," I murmured to myself. I spun on my heel and followed after Hagrid and a bunch of other first years.

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><p>"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," Professor McGongall proclaimed while she unraveled a large scroll. "When the hat announces your House, you will go sit at the appropriate table."<p>

"Are you nervous?" a boy standing in front of my asked. He was small and had blond hair and bright green eyes.

"A bit," I admitted. I took a peek over my shoulder to see if anyone was there, but I suddenly remembered that I was the last person in line. "What house do you think you'll be in?"

"I'm hoping for Hufflepuff. My parents and sister were in that House. I'm Kevin, by the way."

"Sophia. I hope you get in."

"Thanks," he gleamed. "What about you?"

"I honestly don't know. My foster parents aren't wizards. Gryffindor seems nice though."

"Oh yeah I bet. Harry Potter is in that house!" he exclaimed. "I wish I was as brave as him. My older sister tells me all about the adventures him and his friends go on."

"They go on wild adventures?"

"Oh yes!" Kevin answered. "In their first year alone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all defeated a three-headed dog, a live chess set, and a professor who was working with You-Know-Who. In their second year, they defeated a large basilisk that was petrifying students. And last year, Harry did something including a prisoner and some Dementors. I never fully understood what my sister was telling me."

I shivered involuntarily, one part due to the water that I had been sprayed with just minutes before and the second part due to what this boy was telling me. I had grown up in an adventurous way- but a way that was completely different from what these three were doing. When I was eleven, my biggest concern was not being caught when I skipped school or hid on the roof of our apartment. I didn't do anything as grand as defeating a three-headed dog or Voldemort. I was beginning to think that I wasn't cut out for Gryffindor anymore.

Kevin must have noticed my anxiety because he spoke up. "I mean, it may have been all jokes that my sister told me. You know, things she told me to scare me into not coming to Hogwarts with her."

I gave a tiny grin, thankful that he was trying to hard not to scare me. "You'll make a superb wizard."

"Thanks," he smiled. "You will too. No matter what house you get in."

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><p>What felt like hours later, Kevin was safely sorted into Hufflepuff-just like the rest of his family. He was absolutely ecstatic and started jumping up and down before running to his sister. I clapped and smiled along with the rest of the Hufflepuffs, excited that he made it into his choice. He stood up on top of his newfound seat and have me a big thumbs up for what I suspected to be good luck.<p>

"Williams, Sophia," McGongall called out. I let out a large breath and carefully made my way over to the wobbly wooden seat in the front of everyone. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I sat down and placed the raggedy hat onto the crown of my head.

"Interesting..." the voice of the hat sounded into my mind. "My, my you are quite an enigma."

"How so?" I thought.

"You are rather intelligent. I can tell due to the way you are inspecting everyone here, as well as your desire to fully grasp what exactly you will learn here.

"But you're also cunning. You know how to manipulate people into doing as you wish. I can tell that you work off of your rage and your envy does have a rather large affect on you. Hmm...you would make a mighty Slytherin. Perhaps one of the best this school has seen in awhile..."

"But what about Hufflepuff?" I questioned the hat.

"You may be loyal, but only to those that have truly deserved it. You will not prosper in Hufflepuff."

"And Gryffindor?"

"I can sense that you are brave and outspoken, but maybe not enough to join Gryffindor..."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I frowned.

"You lack unselfishness. That's another trait for Slytherin."

"But I don't want to be in Slytherin..."

"Defiance," the hat replied. "Yet another trait."

"Why won't you sort me where I want to be?"

"Curiosity...another trait for Ravenclaw."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I can see into your mind and decide the best for you. Why on earth would you want to choose for yourself and then regret it?"

"So you want me to be a Slytherin...?"

"Yes."

"But I don't agree. I want nothing less than becoming a Slytherin."

I heard the voice of the hat sigh. "You want to be a Gryffindor, don't you?"

"Yes."

"You will not be nearly as successful," the voice warned.

"I am aware. However, not everything is about success."

"That's a very selfless thing to say. How about Ravenclaw?"

"I believe that we are both aware that I am not nearly as intelligent as the rest of the others."

"You truly are stubborn."

"A stubborn Gryffindor, perhaps."

"Don't say I didn't warn you..." the hat said and then paused. "GRYFFINDOR!"

I smiled brightly and couldn't help but clap my hands with all of the others. "Thank you!" I thought before finding a new place at the Gryffindor table.

"Sophia!" I heard Hermione shout. "We saved you a seat."

"How'd you know I was going to be a Gryffindor?" I questioned as I took the seat next to her and across from Ron and Harry.

"I had a hunch," she replied with a smile. "Welcome to Gryffindor."

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><p>i'm getting back into this whole writing thing...<p>

(also, i skipped diagon alley because wow that was hard to write and it never turned out like i wanted it to. so, naturally i gave up...)


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